Unova's Survival Crisis! (Japanese: 霊獣フォルム総進撃！イッシュ最大の危機！！The Reijuu Formes Advance! Isshu's Greatest Crisis!!) is the 97th episode of the Best Wishes series, and the 754th episode of the Pokémon anime. It first aired in Japan on October 4, 2012, in the UK on December 31, 2012 and in the United States on January 26, 2013.

Contents

Blurb

Team Rocket has captured Meloetta, brought it to the Undersea Temple, and used a recording of Meloetta's song to raise the temple to the surface. As Operation Tempest continues, Giovanni acquires the mysterious Reveal Glass and uses it to summon the three Legendary Pokémon Tornadus, Thundurus, and Landorus!

Meloetta's protector, Ridley, explains that whoever controls Meloetta also controls these three ancient powers. Team Rocket’s plan is just the latest attempt by evildoers over the years to take over the Unova region using the power of the Reveal Glass. Our heroes watch in horror as the three Legendary Pokémon change into Therian Forme and prepare to wreak havoc upon Unova! As Ash and Pikachu escape from their cage, an enormous Pokémon battle takes shape: Iris's Dragonite, Cilan's Pansage, Cynthia's Garchomp, Ridley's Golurk, and Ash's Unfezant join with Pikachu to stand against the fearsome Tornadus, Thundurus, and Landorus. A crackling attack from Thundurus almost strikes Iris down, but Pikachu flings itself into the bolt's path to protect her. Using the extra electricity it absorbed from that attack, Pikachu launches a massive Electro Ball to overpower Team Rocket and free Meloetta!

But Giovanni still holds the Reveal Glass, and without Meloetta's calming influence, he is completely overcome with evil ambitions: instead of conquering the Unova region, he now wants to destroy it! But Jessie, James, and Meowth intervene to sway their Boss from this disastrous path. As soon as he returns to his senses, Team Rocket reluctantly retreats.

Ridley uses the Reveal Glass to return the three Legendary Pokémon to their Incarnate Forme, and Meloetta soothes their rage with its song. With disaster averted, Ridley and Meloetta bid our heroes farewell and prepare to return to home. But Ash knows they will meet again someday, and all eyes once again turn toward the Unova League!

At sea, Cynthia, Ridley, and Ash's friends are racing to the temple on a boat. Ridley is in pain because he can feel Meloetta suffering. At the temple, the Reveal Glass hovers in the air and shoots a beam of light into the sky before disappearing into a portal that soon grows into dark foreboding clouds. Going back to Ridley, he reveals Team Rocket is planning to use Meloetta to control the three legendary Pokémon to take control nature to rule Unova. All of a sudden, the weather turns bad as the legendary Pokémon appear, creating swells and high winds. Landorus, Thundurus, and Tornadus appear and Giovanni uses the Reveal Glass to expose the legendary Pokémon's other forms. In the containment field, Ash urges Pikachu to try to escape again using Iron Tail on a single point, eventually freeing the two. They run out in an attempt to save Meloetta, but Jessie and James call out Woobat and Yamask. The two Pokémon use Air Slash and Shadow Ball to send Ash and Pikachu flying off the temple, but they are saved by Ridley's Golurk.

Golurk takes Ash and Pikachu to the bottom of the ruins where the others have just arrived. Determined to stop Team Rocket, the group calls out their Pokémon: Garchomp, Dragonite, Pansage, and Unfezant with Pikachu on her back. Without waiting for Iris's orders, Dragonite flies off to battle the three legendary Pokémon.

At the top of the temple, the Reveal Glass glows red, throwing the trainer's Pokémon back, and finally revealing the other forms of the legendary trio. As the red glow recedes, Giovanni can be seen having a red aura around him. Dragonite, as aggressive as ever, rushes into battle, though is clearly outmatched. Iris begs with Dragonite to not battle alone and instead work with the other Pokémon. Giovanni orders the three legendary Pokémon to battle. Using a combination of Air Cutter and Stone Edge, Tornadus and Landorus knock the Dragon Pokémon to the ground in front of the trainers and appears to be hurt. Thundurus then faces Dragonite and unleashes a powerful electric attack, but Iris steps in front of the attack to protect her Pokémon. Before the attack hits, Pikachu jumps in front of it and absorbs the electricity while Unfezant drives off Thundurus with Air Cutter. Seeing how much Iris cares for him, Dragonite finds new-found trust in his trainer and once again rushes off to battle with the others, although they are clearly at a disadvantage to the powerful trio.

Unhappy with the rate at which the battle is going, Giovanni orders the trio to unleash their true power. All attacking at once, the trio knock the trainers' Pokémon into the sea before covering it with ice that advances all the way to the city nearby. However, the Pokémon break through the ice and are ready to battle once more. Meanwhile, Ash and Pikachu finally reach the top of the temple. Ash demands that Meloetta be returned. When Team Rocket refuses, Ash has Pikachu use Electro Ball. Unlike Pikachu's normal Electro Balls though, this one has been enhanced with the electricity Pikachu absorbed from Thundurus's attack and enlarged. When it is released, it obliterates the top of the temple and frees Meloetta, but also causes the Reveal Glass to shoot a beam of light directly into Giovanni's face.

As the smoke clears, the temple is shown to be in rubble and Team Rocket is stunned. Out of the smoke comes Meloetta riding on Unfezant's back. Seeing that Meloetta has escaped, Team Rocket suggests they recapture it, but Giovanni says Meloetta is no longer necessary. As he gets up, he is shown to have a red circular symbol on his forehead and his eyes are glowing red. In addition, he has complete control over the legendary trio and has become drunk with power. Giovanni orders the trio to destroy Unova. Seeing that their boss has become insane, Jessie, James, and Meowth tackle Giovanni outside the boundary of the temple, thus freeing him from its influence. Outside the temple's influence, Giovanni doesn't remember what happened. Dr. Zager tells him they can no longer control the trio, so they retreat under the cover of Yamask's Haze. Unfezant uses Gust to blow away the smoke, revealing Team Rocket escaping in a jet.

Meanwhile, the trainers' Pokémon are still battling the legendary trio. Ridley replaces the Reveal Glass and asks it to calm down the trio. It does and the trio revert back to their original form.

Back on the boat, the group is heading back to land. In the distance, the temple is sinking back into the sea. Back on shore, the group says farewell to Ridley and Meloetta. Oshawott is crying that his crush Meloetta is leaving.

This episode aired December 31, 2012 in the UK, twenty six days before the US airdate.

This episode aired on January 3, 2013 in Italy (on K2), twenty-three days before the US airdate.

This episode aired on January 10, 2013 in Poland (on DisneyXD), sixteen days before the US airdate.

This episode aired on January 26, 2013 in Latin America, at the same time than the US airing.

It was supposed to air in English but it was erroneously broadcasted on Cartoon Network USA via the Secondary Audio Track on all U.S and U.S Territories using the dubbed Latin American Spanish track, which was scheduled to debut in 2014.

Errors

When Giovanni calls out to the Reveal Glass just before the Forces of Nature changes Forme, the yellow stripes on the sides of his uniform briefly disappear.

During one scene between Iris and her Dragonite, Dragonite's right pupil has its original look.

Just before Jessie, James and Meowth push Giovanni off the pedestal while he is possessed, his eyes are colored white when they should still be red.

Giovanni's uniform missing its stripes

Dragonite's tail error

Dragonite's pupil error

Giovanni's eyes incorrectly colored white

Dub edits

In the original version of the episode, Tornadus's voice changes to become much higher pitched when it changes into Therian Forme. This is not retained for the dub, in which all three of the Forces of Nature have the same voices in both Formes.